The Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board is the first board in Ontario, and only second in Canada, to trial the communication and social services of Milo the robot.

A pair of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder from St. Michael Catholic School in Belleville and St. Martha Catholic School in Kingston are currently running a pilot project with Milo. The purpose of the project is to gauge Milo’s effectiveness in communication and social skills.

“We want to break down barriers in the school, home and social environments, supporting our students to make friends and understand social situations,” said Jada Amo, an applied behaviour analysis advisor with the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic District School Board. “Milo has several different modules and within each module are different lessons. The first thing is introduction and games to help pair Milo with the students.”

Milo is able to deliver different lessons to each student, allowing Jada to tailor each session according to the student’s needs. Students are able to interact, play and develop social skills with Milo in a healthy, open and fun environment.

Integrating technology into classrooms is just one of the many ways that Ontario’s Catholic schools help build community.

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